Job characteristics theory and mentoring: the influence of cognitive tasks and educational leadership on mentoring provided

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of cognitive tasks on mentoring provided and the moderating influence of having an educational leadership position. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional survey was based on a questionnaire sent to 435 employees of 29 preschools in Norway. A total of 284 responses were returned, with a response rate of 65.3%. A total of three research hypotheses were formulated. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to develop three measurement models, and structural equation modelling (SEM) based on the multigroup analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Findings Results revealed that cognitive tasks increase the occurrence of mentoring provided at work for employees with and without an educational leadership position. Furthermore, educational leadership moderates the relationship between cognitive tasks and mentoring provided. Research limitations/implications The use of convenience sampling and self-reports are discussed, especially related to representativeness and reporting biases. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed. Originality/value This is an understudied area, and no previous research has used a confirmatory approach to investigate how cognitive tasks and educational leadership influence the occurrence of mentoring provided.